Federal authorities announced Wednesday that nine street vendors and four protestors were arrested during the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid on Chinatown’s Canal Street on Tuesday evening — an operation that they apparently declined to tell the NYPD and City Hall about in advance.
The Department of Homeland Security identified nine individuals arrested by ICE, describing them as “criminal illegal aliens” with alleged histories including robbery, domestic violence, assaulting law enforcement, counterfeiting, drug trafficking, and forgery.
During the operation, which sparked fierce backlash from furious bystanders and led to protests late into the night, amNewYork observed roughly 30 to 40 vendors being arrested, although DHS has only publicly listed nine by name.
The Street Vendor Project said it could confirm that at least five of the nine individuals who were detained by ICE are street vendors, “several of whom have worked in NYC for 20+ years, have built their lives and families here.”
DHS claimed that the “intelligence-driven enforcement operation” targeted illegal activity related to the sale of counterfeit goods on Canal Street and was conducted with the help of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and Customs and Border Protection.
In the past, the NYPD has conducted numerous raids on Canal Street targeting counterfeit merchandise peddlers, although these operations have typically been conducted without federal intervention.
Details about coordination with local authorities remain unclear. A source familiar with the operation stated that the DHS requested assistance from other federal agencies, including the FBI, just hours before the operation commenced.
Local law enforcement agencies, including the NYPD, were reportedly not informed in advance. According to the source, this behavior is beyond the norm for federal law enforcement. Raids are usually planned within at least 24 hours for safety and security purposes and involve multiple agencies.
The NYPD did not comment on the record, only pointing to its initial statement from Tuesday evening, which stated that it had no role in the federal operation.
Likewise, as the operation unfolded in Lower Manhattan, a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams said the Administration was gathering more information after learning about the federal law enforcement action.
The DHS did not respond to repeated queries on whether local authorities were notified of the operation.
Following the Canal Street raid, New York Attorney General Letitia James launched an online portal on Wednesday for New Yorkers to share videos or other documentation of federal immigration enforcement actions around the city.
“Every New Yorker has the right to live without fear or intimidation,” James said in a statement. “If you witnessed and documented ICE activity yesterday, I urge you to share that footage with my office. We are committed to reviewing these reports and assessing any violations of law. No one should be subject to unlawful questioning, detention, or intimidation.”
James said the portal will allow residents to upload photos or videos of federal immigration actions directly to the OAG for review.
